So what's new?

I haven't posted on here in a while, mostly because I am doing much better! Yay! :)

So, you may be wondering, what's new? Not much. As of right now, I am still going to therapy twice a week. I'm going to my OB every two weeks. My last visit with my OB was a good one. Surprisingly, she told us that Jackson was a little small compared to how big most babies are at that point. He measured to be 2lbs 4oz. I'm sure with my next appointment he will be much bigger though. I'm also having ultra sounds at every other appointment. They want to monitor him closely since I'm still on the prednisone.

I've come to the conclusion that there are a few different reasons why I could have had my flare.

1. Medicine. The medication that I took on a regular basis before I was pregnant finally wore off.
2. Stress. Even though I did not feel stressed I had a lot going on at that time. I was working all the time, planning for a wedding, and had just bought my first car.
3. Weight gain. My back couldn't handle the pressure from the weight I was gaining. I've always been pretty small and this is by far the most I've ever weighed.
4. Gender. I read somewhere that pregnant women with
   Ankylosing Spondylitis have worse flares when they are having a boy. I don't know how much truth there is to this though.
5. Combination. Any and/or all of the above could have been contributing factors.

I definitely think the prednisone has made a huge difference in how I manage my days. Some days I feel great, but there are still days that I don't do as well. So I'm still taking each day one at a time! Just because I feel good today, doesn't mean that reflects how I'll feel tomorrow. I won't know until I wake up. I still struggle with the stiffness in my back. I've learned that walking usually helps with this. The more I move the more I am able to loosen up. It just takes me a while to get going sometimes. There are finally more good days then bad ones so I'll take it.

I'm happy to say that once I get past being stiff in the morning usually my biggest problem now is just heartburn. But that is just something that can be expected/normal like any other pregnancy. 

(Picture source)

 

Other than my flares, I have been pretty lucky. If I didn't have my disease, I'd say pregnancy has been pretty easy. Although I haven't gotten to the labor part yet so I won't completely jump to that conclusion!